John Hawley making case for Hall of Fame

News-Times, The (Danbury, CT)

Published 8:00 pm, Sunday, October 21, 2007

"This one was special because two of my kids (Anna, 7 and Ryan, 11) were there to see it," says John. "I gave my last ring to my son, and this one goes to my daughter," he says. "This way they will have something to remember me by long after I am gone."

Hopefully, John is bit premature in his sentiments towards his kids, but with seven perfectos to go with a career high 808 series on Aug. 8 (which is also his birthday), John is well on his way to a Hall of Fame career.

The latest three hundred took place in the Thursday night Candlewood Valley Men's League at Brookfield Lanes. John is currently averaging 223 on that league, to go along with a 220 average on the Commercial Men's Tenpin League, also at Brookfield Lanes. John was also the first in the local association to earn a ring from the new USBC when he had a 300 last season.

John, you better have more kids, because with the game you have, I'm sure there will be more awards in your future. Keep up the good bowling.

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The Greater Danbury USBC Association has announced its tournament schedule for this bowling season. Tournaments to look out for are the Adult Youth at Lores Lanes on Dec. 1 and 2, Lou Meola, director; the Queens/Princess on Jan. 12, 2008 at Brookfield Lanes, Janelle Pelletier, director; the Singles Scratch at Brookfield Lanes on Jan. 13, 2008, Mark Ohayon, director; the Youth Championship Tournament at Lores Lanes on March 15 and 16, Brenda Meola, director; the City Championship at Brookfield Lanes on Feb. 23 and 24 and March 1 and 2, Lou Meola and Clagett Boehner, directors; the Bowl for the Cure at Brookfield Lanes on April 26, Brenda Meola and Frank Sequenzia, directors; and the Connecticut State Women's Tournament at Lores Lanes on May 3 and 4, 10, 17 and 18.

Entry forms may be downloaded for any tournament at www.greaterdanburyusbc.org or by contacting the bowling centers 30 days prior to an event.

And don't forget the most prestigious tournament of the year, Strike-a-thon 2008. It's when you can qualify to bowl against legends like Nelson Burton Jr., Diandra Asbaty, and Shannon O'Keekfe when they visit Brookfield Lanes on April 23. The tournament will be held on March 29 and 30 as a walk-in tournament and all the proceeds, after the prize fund, will be for the benefit of the Regional Hospice of Western Connecticut. Don't miss your chance to see how well you can do against this team of all stars, as the top nine bowlers in the tournament will qualify to bowl one game each at the Strike-a-thon. Sanction pending.

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Speaking of Shannon O'Keefe, she made a great showing by finishing second the the U.S. Women's Open Championship, a USBC event, on Sunday, Oct. 14. She lost to Liz Johnson in the finals, but she bowled a respectable 215 and is destined for great things to come. I can't wait to see how she stacks up against oujr local talent.

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The kids are up to some great bowling in both the Lores and Brookfield Programs. Recently at Lore's, Greg Patella had a 222-645, Austin Jacobsoen had a 239-623, and Christian Texeira posted a 248-615. Greg Patella leads the league with a 215 average, while Jesse Green still leads the girls with a 168.

At Brookfield Lanes, get this -- in the Pee Wee division (9-11 year olds), Mike Azzarito had a great game of 157, while in the Senior Division, Tyler Granted posted games of 239-230-2,093 for a really good 6,782 set. (A chip off the old block, eh, Gary?) Tyler also leads the league with a 202 average.

Other great scores out of Brookfield include a 2 game 258 by David Bunnell, which is 103 pins over his average; Zack Koenecke with a 557, which was 107 pins over his average; Elliot Herz with a 608 and Robert Duncan with a 620.

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An argument almost as old as the game of bowling is whether or not it's a participatory game or a real sport. Many argue that because any one can participate, and because its so family oriented, that its just a game.

But don't tell that to the professionals who do it for a living and know how grueling it can be. PBA legend and two time Strike-a-thon alum Pete Weber, one of the all time greats, recently told me: "Being musclebound is not necessary, but good physical shape is. Some days it is required to bowl 14-21 games. You have to be ready for that. To me, that means I need to get some games on my hand. Some guys stay in shape by doing a light work out with weights or some like to run or jog. I stay in shape by continually bowling throughout the year even in 'off time.' Everyone needs to figure out what works for them."

Another Strike-a-thon alum and PBA great Norm Duke see things a little differently than Weber, but concurs nonetheless that physical conditioning is critical to bowling success: "I workout at home regularly on a weight amchine to keep my strength up. It is necessary for me at my weight (130 lbs) and my age (43). During the bowling season I rarely work on arm development because I will tend to muscle a lot of shots during competition. I focus on chest, stomach, and legs and I keep reps up and weight down for stamina.

So no matter what your philosophy on physical conditioning, It appears that to those who do it for a living, bowling is much more than just a game. It is a sport that requires training just like any other.

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Congrats to Lores bowlers Lou Smith and John Latrell. Smith posted a 300 game in the Lores 5 Man Classic League, while Lattrell blistered the lanes for an 814 series, also in the 5 Man Classic.